Clutch mechanism.



H. c. HfWALSH.

CLUTCH MECHANISM. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 29, 1907. RENEWED JAN. 13, 1913.

1,099,867, Patented June 9, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M'znesses H. O. H. WALSH.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION II JAN. 13, 1913. 1,099,861 Patented June 9, 19M

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. O. H. WALSH. CLUTCH MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1907. RENEWED JAN. 13, 1913.

Patented June 9, 191% 3 fSHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Inventor M (EX/2&0, M [tar/25y.

M'lnes E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY G. H. WALSH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Application filed August 29, 1907, Serial No. 390,594. Renewed January 13, 1913. Serial No. 741,882.

Tn all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY C. H. VVALsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in die presses.

Among the salient objects of the invention are, to provide in a press'having a normally, idly rotating drive wheel and normally stationary main shaft a buffer mechanism embodied in the driving connections between said driving wheel and main shaft; to provide a buffer mechanism in a machine of the character described, combined with an automatically, ungearing, clutch mechanism; to provide in a die press having a normally, idly rotating drive wheel and stationary shaft, a clutch mechanism of improved construction adapted to be manually brought into operation and automatically disengaged at the end of a single revolution by means operating positively and in such manner as to preclude accidental repeating strokes of the dies; and, in general, to provide improvements in a machine of the character referred to.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of the side elevation, with parts broken away, of a die press equipped with my improvements; Fig. 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in axial section of the connected portions of the main shaft, the driving wheel and the clutch and buffer mechanism; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the buffer ring; Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 2 although showing fewer parts and showing a modified construction; Fig. 5 is a view of a fragmentary portion of the drive wheel hub showing the arrangement of the buffer mechanism therein; Fig. 6 is a detail of the safety trip mechanism viewed from the same direction as in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of parts shown in Fig. 6 but viewed from the opposite direction; Fig. 8 is a detail of a part seen in Fig. 7, viewed at right angles from the position shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail view showing the spring actuated mechanism for throwing the clutch pin. Fig. 10 is an elevation of the drive wheel.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the main base frame, 2 the tilting frame, 3 the main shaft and 4 the pitman which car ries the dies and is actuated from the main shaft in a well understood manner. The drive wheel 5 is loosely journaled on the main shaft (see Fig. 2) and constantly driven in any suitable manner, usually by a belt applied to its periphery. A clutch mechanism, to be hereinafter described, is actuated through a chain or cable 6 which extends downwardly through suitable guides to and is connected with a foot treadle 7 the depression of the foot treadle serving to release a spring pressed clutch which, when released, locks the driving wheel to the main shaft for one revolution and is automatically thrown out of gear at the end of this revolution.

Describing first the automatic clutch mechanism, upon the main shaft is a rigid enlargement or collar 8, to one side of which is pivoted a clutch lever 9; said clutch lever being pivoted between its ends as indicated at 10 and having one end engaged with the slot or eye of a clutch bolt 11 while its opposite end is acted upon by a spring pressed plunger 12 seated in a contiguous enlargement or collar 13 of the main shaft. The clutch lever is normally held retracted by a trip lever or latch 14; which, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, is pivotally mounted on the side of the frame standard and underlies the portion 8 of the main shaft in position for its actuating end 14 to normally encounter the stop portion 9 of the clutch lever. The clutch bolt 11 extends through the enlargement 13, through a buffer ring 15 and in a position to engage in one of a series of sockets 16 in the contiguous end face of the hub of the drive wheel 5. When the operator pulls down the trip lever 14: the spring actuated clutch lever 9 shoots the clutch bolt into engagement with the drive wheel, the latter rotates the main shaft and as the clutch lever completes its revolution with the main shaft, encounters the stop portion of the trip lever and retracts the lever, thus disengaging the clutch belt at the end of a single revolution.

In order to obviate thedisastrous effects of the shocks incident to starting the main shaft and its relatively heavy connected parts instantly by throwing it into engagement with the rapidly rotating drive wheel, the buffer ring is yieldingly connected with tru the main shaft and the driving wheel operates to transmit motion to the main shaft through the buffer ring. To this end a recess 17 is formed in the buffer ring, within which is arranged to project a stud 18 carried by and rigid with an enlargement 13 of the main shaft. The recess 17 is circumferentially enlarged so as to afford a slight relative movement between the stud 18 and said ring, as best seen in Fig. 3. In the buffer ring in tangential relation to the recess 17 is formed a socket 19, which, at its inner end, at the point where it intersects the recess 17 is of reduced diameter or counter bored, and in this chamber is inserted a buffer lunger 20, which at its smaller end prod es within the recess 17 and engages the stud 18. A screw plug 21 is seated in the outer end of the chamber, and between the screw plug and head of the buffer plunger is interposed a spring rubber block 22.

The clutch bolt 11 passes through a circumferentially enlarged opening 23 in the member 13 of the main shaft and through a closely fitting aperture 2-1 in the buffer ring. It follows that whenthe clutch bolt enters and engages the socket of the drive wheel the buffer-ring is locked positively to the drive wheel and imparts movement to the main shaft at first through the buffer mechanism and subsequently, after the buffer has been forced back until the drive stud 18 encounters theforward side of the recess 17, positively by the interengagement of these non-yielding parts. the follower plug 21 the bufier mechanism may be so'tensioned that the main shaft will be started simply through the buffer mechanism and the positive driving connections come into operation only when the die encounters the work upon which it is operating. k

In Figs. 4 and 5, a modification is shown which amounts practically to a reversal of the application shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In said Figs. 1- and 5, 15 designates the buffer ring which has a reduced part 15 let into the face of the drive wheel 5, and 13 designates the enlargement of the main shaft rigid with the latter. The buffer mecha nism, which is substantially the same in construction as that previously described, is, in this instance, arranged within and carried by the drive wheel as seen clearly in Fig. 5. The buffer ring carries a drive stud 18 rigidly seated in the buffer ring and extending into the recess 17 of the driving wheel. The clutch bolt 11 is carried by the portion 13 of the main shaft and is adapted when pr jected to engage in one of a series of srckets 16 formed in the buffer ring. The clutch bolt fits accurately both in the member 13, and the socket 16. so that when in operative position the buffer ring and main shaft are locked rigidly together. It follows By suitably adjusting that normally, the buffer ring rotates with the drive wheel and when the clutch mechanism is brought into operation the buffer ring is suddenly locked rigid with the main shaft and so arrested positively, whereupon the drive wheel imparts its driving moment yieldingly through the buffer mechanism to the buffer ring and so to the main shaft.

Describing next the safety trip mechanism which prevents the press from repeating, and referring more particularly to Fig. (3. etc, 25 designates as a whole a bracket bolted to the side of the frame standard, as seen clearly in Fig.1, and having formed integrally therewith two socket members 26 and 27. In the member 27 is arranged a spring pressed plunger 28 which engages the under side of the trip lever 14- heretofore described, and normally holds the latter uplifted and in yielding bearing with the under side of the main shaft. An adjusting screw 29 threaded into the bottom of the member 27 and impinging the lower end of the plunger spring determines the tension of the latter. In the member 26 is also mounted the lower shank portion of a latch frame 30; the lower end of said shank being connected with the trip rod 31 which extends downwardly through the socket or barrel member 26 and out through the adjusting plug 32 in the bottom of the latter. A coiled expansion spring 33 acts to hold the latch head normally lifted as far as permitted by the stop mechanism hereinafter described. The operating cable or chain 6 (see Fig. 1) connects with the lower end of the trip rod 31. The flat side of the head portion 30 of the latch frame extends alongside of the bracket extension 25 of the bracket 25, and through said extension is formed a vertical slot (see Fig. 8), 34 through which extends a stop stud 35 mounted in the side of the head 30. The slot 34 determines the limits of movement of said latch head. Inside of the latch head is pivotally mounted at 36, an Lshaped lever 37 provided upon its upright arm with a latch hook 38 and upon its other arm with a. tappet projection 39 adapted to contact and cooperate with an adjustable stop stud 40 mounted in an extension 25 carried upon the bracket 25. Through the upper end of the latch head is arranged a reciprocating latch member 41, the lower end of which is provided with a latch hook 12 adapted to cooperate with the latch lever 37 and the upper end of which has a slot and pin e11- gagement with the trip lever 14, as seen clearly in Fig. 6. In the side of the latch head 30 is seated a tubular spring barrel 4-3 within which is arranged a plunger ii-1: acted upon by a spring 45 and in turn acting upon the angular latch lever 37 to held the latter in latched engagement. 1Vith the parts constructed and arranged as described and the stop stud 40 properly adjusted, when the latch frame as a whole is drawn downwardly by the operator, the trip lever 14 is withdrawn from the clutch lever and as the latch mechanism approaches the lower limit of its movement the tappet end of the angle lever encounters the stud 40, and in the further movement of the mechanism is oscillated so as to disengage the latch lever from the cooperating latch member 41, thus permitting the trip lever 14: to fly back under the action of its own spring.

It will be obvious that the disengagement of the latch member 41 from the angle latch lever must bear a certain timed relation to the disengagement of the end of the trip lever 14 with the clutch lever, because if the latch members separate before the trip lever has been sufficiently withdrawn the operation will be ineffective to release the clutch lever and, on the other hand, if the trip lever 14 releases the clutch lever before the latch members separate the operator may release his pressure upon the treadle and the safety mechanism fail to separate. The peculiar manner in which I construct the parts so as to secure certainty of operation in properly timed relation of these members constitutes one of the important features of the invention. To this end I provide an inclined cam surface 46 upon the upper side of the trip lever 14 at that end of the latter which cooperates with the end of the clutch lever; this inclined cam surface being so disposed that the advancing movement of the clutch lever under its spring and subsequent movement with the main shaft, operates to positively oscillate the trip lever downwardly beyond the critical angle at which the clutch lever is released. This additional movement is not necessarily a large movement, and in fact may be very small, but it is nevertheless suiiicient to thrust the latch head and connected parts downwardly enough to insure the certain disengagement of the latch members from each other, regardless of whether the operator is applying suflicient pressure to the treadle to accomplish this result or not. It follows that the very act of tripping the clutch lever so as to allow the main shaft to come into operation results also in tripping off the safety mechanism and allowing the trip lever to fly back in position to positively engage the main shaft from the driving wheel at the end of a single revolution.

The operation of the apparatus has been fully described in connection with the description of the construction thereof and need not therefore be repeated.

While I have herein shown preferable embodiments of the several features of the invention, nevertheless it will be obvious that details of construction and arrangement may be changed without departing from the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a die press, the combination with a supporting frame, of a main shaft journaled therein, a driving wheel normally rotating idly, clutch mechanism for locking the wheel in driving connection with the main shaft, a buffer ring interposed in said driving connections, and having limited circumferential movement independent of the driving shaft, and shock absorbing mechanism associated with the buffer ring comprising a connecting stud and a spring actuated buffer acting on said stud.

2. In a die press, the combination with a supporting frame and main shaft, journaled thereon, of a driving wheel normally riding idly, clutch bolts, spring actuated mechanism operatively connected with said clutch bolts, a buffer ring interposed in the above driving members and having limited circumferential movement independent of the driving shaft, a shock absorbing mechanism associated with the buffer ring and including a spring actuated buffer member.

3. In a die press, the combination with the supporting frame and main shaft journaled therein, of a driving wheel normally rotating idly concentrically with said main shaft, clutch mechanism comprising a clutch bolt and spring actuated pivotally mounted member operatively connected with said clutch bolt, a circumferentially movable annular buffer member mounted between the part of the main shaft carrying said clutch mechanism and said driving wheel, a buffer mechanism associated with saidbuffer member and the driving wheel, through which a relatively gradual starting movement is imparted to the main shaft when the clutch mechanism is brought into operation.

4:. In a die press, the combination with the supporting frame and main shaft journaled therein, of a driving wheel mounted to normally rotate idly upon said main shaft, a clutch bolt mounted to reciprocate endwise in suitable supports upon said main shaft, a spring-pressed actuating member operatively connected with the said clutch bolt, a trip lever whereby the clutch bolt may be released manually, a buffer ring movably mounted upon said main shaft between the driving wheel and that part of the shaft which carries the clutch bolt, and a buffer mechanism associated with said buffer ring, said clutch bolt being adapted to lock said buffer ring positively to one of the two members between which it is mounted, whereby the buffer mechanism is brought into operation as a part of the driving train.

5. In a mechanism of the general character described, a buffer mechanism comprising one member of a driving train provided with a socket aperture and an intersecting stud receiving recess, a buffer plunger arranged within said socket and projecting into said recess, a resilient buffer member operatively arranged within said socket and acting upon said buffer plunger, and a second me'; ber of said driving train mounted alongside of said first member and provided with a driving stud extending into said recess of the first member, and means for positively clutching a third element of the driving train to one of the first two mentioned elements.

6. In a mechanism for imparting intermittent rotation to a driven member from a constantly rotating driving member, a buffer mechanism comprising a driven member, a driving wheel and a functionally interposed buffer member, a clutch bolt adapted to positively lock the buffer member to one or the other of the two other members of the driving train, a buffer plunger and buffer spring mounted upon one of the elements and operatively engaging said buffer plunger, and a clutch adapted to positively lock the buffer member to that one of the elements of said driving train through other than the one between which and the buffer member the buffer connections are interposed.

7. In a mechanism for governing the intermittent operation of a driving member, a clutch member, a spring pressed operating member controlling the clutch member, a self-returning trip member operable to release said spring pressed clutc'h operating member and normally acting to hold the latter retracted, a retracting connection extending from said trip member to a manually operable device, a stop mounted in the path of movement of a member of said retracting connection and operating to move said member in a releasing direction as the retracting connection is drawn back, and mechanism associated with said trip menr her and driving member and arranged to effect the final movement of separation of said retracting connection.

8. In a mechanism for governing the intermittent operation of a main shaft, a main frame, a main shaft journaled therein, a constantly rotating driving wheel mounted concentrically with the main shaft, a clutch bolt carried by the main shaft, a spring pressed clutch lever operatively connected with said clutch bolt, a spring pressed trip member mounted upon the main frame and normally holding the clutch lever retracted, a retracting connection extending from said trip member to a foot treadle, a parting mechanism inserted in said retracting connection, a stop mounted in the path of movement of a member of said parting connection and operating to move said member in a releasing direction as the retacting connection is drawn back, and a cam mechanism associated with said trip membe and main shaft, and arranged to effect the final movement of separation of said retracting connection as the main snaft commences to rotate.

9. In combination with a normally stationary main shaft, a normally rotating driving wheel, a spring pressed clutch bolt for operatively connecting said parts and a trip lever holding said clutch bolt retracted, a safety retracting connection extending from the trip lever to a foot lever or treadle, comprising a fixed guide, a latch head guided therein, an angular latch lever pivotally mounted upon said latch frame, a second latch member guided in said latch head and adapted to cooperate with said angular latch lever, a fixed stop mounted in the path of movement of one arm of the angular lever and serving to oscillate the latter toward its releasing position as the latch frame is retracted, and cooperating cam surfaces between the trip lever and that member upon the main shaft which it engages and con trols, whereby the advance movement of the latter with the main shaft operates to impart a positive further movement in the direction of retraction of the trip lever, and so effects the final disengagement of the cooperating latch connections.

HARRY C. H. WALSH. Witnesses ALBERT H. GRAVES,

EMILIE Rose.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

